WRTA set to roll out new Pleasant St. route

It was all thumbs up at a Worcester Regional Transit Authority meeting Wednesday evening, as administrators set forth plans to add a new bus route, called Route 9.

The new route, as well as a few other changes, are scheduled to go into effect Aug. 23, pending approval by the WRTA's advisory board at its monthly meeting July 17.

Like Route 2, the new line will follow Pleasant Street, but will branch off at Newton Square and complement Route 3 service on June, Chandler and May streets to serve Worcester State University.

Jim Parker, assistant general manager for the contractor that operates the WRTA buses, said during the meeting that the route will provide more frequent service on Pleasant Street between Main Street and Park Avenue.

He also said that boosting service to Worcester State will help nearby homeowners, who have complained about students overloading residential street parking near the college.

Another proposed update is to permanently strike Route 11A from the schedule, as it is currently suspended for the summer.

Route 11A diverts from Route 11 (which will not be affected) to serve Millbury and Harding streets from Walmart during the weekday schedule between September and June. The authority cited low ridership and its competition with the Route 4 bus to Green Island in its decision to cut the route.

About 10 people attended the roughly 30-minute meeting at Union Station Wednesday evening, and those who spoke were in favor of the changes.

WRTA Administrator Stephen F. O'Neil said the changes are cost-neutral, since the buses and drivers that would have been allocated for Route 11A will be transferred to 9.

Route 31, which serves Quinsigamond Community College, will be interlined with Route 9, meaning that riders coming into the Hub will not have to transfer buses to access both routes.

Lastly, the bus service plans to remove the interline between Route 25, which serves Southbridge Street to Auburn, and Route 31 and replace the current diesel-powered bus with an electric one.

The bus schedule was last updated June 28. For more information, visit www.therta.com.

There will be a public meeting at the Hub at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday focused on plans for the WRTA's maintenance and operations facility, which is being built on Quinsigamond Avenue.

Contact Alli Knothe at allison.knothe@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @KnotheA